


Failed Mission

by caffeinatedmendes



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:08:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22553767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeinatedmendes/pseuds/caffeinatedmendes
Summary: Eliza Brooks, an eighteen-year-old Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and friend to Tony Stark is given a mission after Tony's death: Attend Midtown Tech and keep an eye on Peter Parker. With the use of her mysterious powers, Eliza had never slipped up on her assignment. That is until Peter's life is in danger, and she has to save him. The cost of her exposing her identity could very nearly mean the end of her mission, and the ending of her chance to become an Avenger.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Original Character(s), Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker & Original Character(s), Peter Parker & Avengers Team & Original Character(s), Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone :) Here's a new fic for you all with an OC of mine that I've created with the help of my friend Breanna! (See my tumblr to find her profile) I loved Peter so much that I had to make a multi-chap fic for him! Anyway, I see this as Post Endgame, but a few months before FFH. Hope you all enjoy <3 comments and kudos are always appreciated!

“Can anyone tell me the answer to number twenty-seven?” Mrs. Codds asked, to which the class silently responded. “Anyone?” Eliza didn’t raise her hand, even though she knew the solution to the problem. Her eyes were trained on the figure in front of her. His leg was bouncing nervously in his desk, watching the clock that taunted them at the front of the room.

Eliza fiddled with her pen, waiting for someone to be called on without their asking. “Ms. Brooks?” Her eyes shot up to the board, examining the problem.

“Uh, thirty-two.” 

“That’s incorrect. Anyone else?” Mrs. Codds’ narrowed eyes found her next target, Michelle Jones.

Eliza raised her hand, but spoke without being called on, “Mrs. Codds? Isn’t it thirty-two, though? X equals fifteen, and the square root of sixteen plus y, which is thirteen, equals thirty-two.” With a bit of fright, she pushed her long hair behind her ear.

Mrs. Codds examined the board once again, “I suppose you’re right, Eliza. My mistake. Thank you.” Heads turned to her, including MJ, who mouthed ‘thanks.’ She nodded, moving her gaze back to the board.

“Everybody was so surprised that Mrs. Codds didn’t scream at you or something. She usually rages if anyone speaks out.” MJ said, clutching her book to her chest as Eliza took her bag from her locker. 

She chuckled, “I know, I was surprised too. By the way, I can’t hang out today. I’ve got work.” Eliza turned to look around, “But you could invite someone to partner with you in AcDec.”

MJ’s ears turned red, “Eli, no. It’s not gonna happen.”

“He’s cute, though! I know you like him.” Eliza grinned, pulling her navy blue backpack onto her shoulders. MJ pulled on the strings of her hoodie, shaking her head and looking at the ground. “Alright, I won’t terrorize you anymore. See you tomorrow. Oh, and don’t forget, we’re studying on Sunday.”

MJ nodded, “I won’t. See you!”

Eliza hurried her way down the halls of Midtown Tech, her black vans making squeaking sounds on the tile. Turning to look into the window of the library, she saw Peter Parker, MJ, and the rest of the team reading their textbooks. She took out her phone, and called the latest number, walking out the doors of her school. The day was a bitter, cold February day. Eliza had to pull up her hood to not shiver on the spot. “Hello?” A man’s voice answered the phone.

“Hey, Happy. Just the daily report. Peter’s fine. He’s at practice right now, so I’ll be going out later today. You know, the usual.”

“Alright. Thanks for letting me know, Eliza.” He sounded relieved, like Peter would never catch a break.

“Of course. Have a good day.”

“You too. You still coming over to Pepper’s tomorrow for dinner?”

Eliza pounded on the steps to the railway, responding, “Yep. See you.”

“Bye, Eli.”

She hung up, pushing her way into the crowded train. Eliza didn’t know how much longer she could keep the whole thing up. The whole routine of high school didn’t suit her. She longed for the days of training with her mentor. Somehow, she thought that training to be a spy was easier than being a high school student.

Perched up on the roof of a building, Eliza watched as a blue and red figure swung through the borough of Queens: the beloved Spider-Man. She had to hop rooftop to rooftop just to keep up with him. Luckily, her suit helped her jump farther, but landing always hurt. The flexible black and navy blue material let her move swiftly in the shadows, though it didn’t matter. Just one thought, and she could become invisible. She watched as Spider-Man made his way into a bank that was screaming with alarms.

Willing herself to turn invisible, she jumped down onto the steps of the bank. The best part of not being seen was people not noticing you. The worst part was having to maneuver your way through, as nobody could move out of the way for you.

Checking her surroundings, she quietly opened the door a sliver and slipped through. This was the worst part of the job. Watching Peter defeat the bad guys, and not being able to help. A woman at the counter trembled at gunpoint, a masked man clamping his hand over her mouth. Two other goons raided the available containers behind them. As if right on cue, Peter screamed, “Hey! Don’t you have other people to rob? I mean not like you should rob them-” He cut himself off, shooting a spider web to grab the gun in his hand. The action made the man angrier, but before he could do anything, Peter ran, jumping onto the counter and swinging his legs into the man’s side. He doubled over in pain, but as Peter stood over him, he didn’t see that the man’s big, beefy buddies were right behind him.

Eliza wanted to scream, tell Peter to watch out, but she knew better. She watched in horror as one of them hit Peter in the head with a bat, knocking him to the ground. Peter didn’t get up. She couldn’t stand there anymore, so she ran for the two of them, pulling a gun from her belt. Thankfully, whatever she held became invisible too, so she didn’t have to worry about people seeing a floating gun. Making two shots, she hit them both in their legs, not wanting to kill. 

Her fingers trembled. She hadn’t done anything like that for real, and hadn’t shot her gun in months. The woman at the counter shrieked. Seeing two men get shot from nowhere was justifiably scary. Eliza jumped over the counter, seeing that Peter was breathing, and conscious. It seemed like he had just woken up. Eliza didn’t think of the consequences as she hoisted Peter up, still invisible. “Whoa! Who’s pulling me?” He grabbed for her, and Eliza was too late to move, as he’d gripped her wrist. “Show yourself! He looked not in her eyes, as he couldn’t see her, but at her neck. Eliza had a couple inches on him.

Eliza knew she’d failed. She lost her grip on her invisibility, and soon she was fully visible. Peter still wouldn’t know it was her. She had a mask on, not unlike Peter’s, but it was black with three stripes of blue on each side. The eyeholes were shaped like upturned rectangles, an almost clear mesh. His spidey-eyes widened. “Eliza?”

Eliza’s breath hitched. Peter didn’t know her. She never spoke to him. Calmly, she replied, “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Let’s get out of here. The police are on their way.” She shook her hand from Peter’s grip, and started running out of the bank, Peter on her tail. They made their way into a dark alley, lit only by a flickering streetlight. 

“Are you sure you’re not Eliza? Because you sound like her too. Wait, why am I asking you that? You know who you are.” Peter caught up to her. Eliza tried to turn away, walk in the other direction, but then, Peter pulled on her mask, taking it off. Her long, blonde hair cascaded around her face. “It is you.” He didn’t say anything else. 

“How’d you know it was me, Peter?” Eliza’s heart sunk. She failed her mission. At least it meant she got to go home.

Peter almost choked, “How’d you know- I mean, I’m not Peter-” Eliza pulled Peter’s mask off to reveal his terrified face. “Uh- your eyes. They’re blue. Just not a normal blue, it’s like a weird blue. I don’t know why. When you showed up a few months ago to school, and the teacher introduced you to the class, your eyes glowed. I don’t know if everyone else saw it, but I did when you looked at me. Then they went back to normal. They glowed so bright when I grabbed your arm that it went through your mask.”

Eliza looked down. “Peter, I’m not allowed to tell you this, but I failed my mission anyway. I’ve been keeping an eye on you since you went back to school, after, well, you know-”

“Since the blip ended?”

“Yeah. Tony found me, kinda like he found you. I was fifteen, it was right after, um, Sokovia. I blipped too, so I’m only eighteen now. But it was eight years ago. When I blipped back, Fury gave me a mission. He told me that Tony intended it for me when he was gone. I’ve been reporting back to Happy, giving him updates. I follow you when you go out into the city.” Eliza looked down at her feet. 

Peter’s face looked disappointed. “Oh.”

“What?” Eliza looked back up at him. Peter played with her mask in his hands. The scene must’ve looked weird. The two of them, holding each other’s masks.

“Well, it’s just that, I thought Mr. Stark thought that I could take care of myself now.” Peter looked up at Eliza, shrugging. His brown eyes looked sad.

Eliza hung her hands, “I’m sure he did. I think he just wanted to have me make sure you were safe. In a way, I was supposed to be the big sister you never had. At least, that’s how Pepper put it.”

Peter nodded, holding out her mask. She took it, and gave him his. “I think this means my mission’s over.”

He looked away, then back at her, “Maybe we can convince Happy to let you stay. He doesn’t have to tell Fury. You could join me, the media wouldn’t know, because you can turn invisible!”

“That might work.” Eliza started to think that she wanted to stay in New York a little bit longer, “Also, I’m not just invisible. I can turn into other animals, too.”

Peter’s eyes widened, “No way! Turn into… a monkey!” He grinned expectantly.

“How about I do something a little more convenient?” Eliza laughed.

“Yeah, okay.”

Eliza felt the familiar sensation encapsulate her body. It was like your entire body was falling asleep, but intensified, as the pins-and-needles feeling grew stronger, her vision changed, and suddenly, Peter got much taller. Her suit, designed to only appear in her human form, was gone. Peter spun around.

“Where’d you go? Eliza?” Eliza scuttled up Peter’s leg, all the way to his hand. She saw him look down. “Ugh. Of course you’re a spider. Deja vu. Can you turn back now?” Eliza hopped off his hand and landed back on the ground. She envisioned herself as herself, a human, and was enclosed in the prickly feeling again. She flexed her fingers, looking back at Peter.

Eliza grinned, “Uh, weird question, but out of all the situations I might’ve had to save you from, how’d you let it be a bank heist?”It seemed too easy for him. Peter didn’t fail like that. Eliza knew that he’d been in much higher-stake situations. 

As if reading her mind, Peter replied with a red tint to his face, “I have a sixth sense, it’s kinda like I can feel what's going on around me. Stupid to say after I didn’t realize two guys were behind me with a bat, but you were distracting me, I think. I didn’t know it was you at the time, of course, but I felt this weird power. It pounded through the room, and it distracted me.”

“I guess you can sense me, too. Have you felt it this whole time?” Eliza lifted her hair into a makeshift ponytail, and put her mask over her head. Peter put his on, too.

Peter shrugged, “Well, sort of. Just not that strong. I had a feeling like someone had their eyes on me everywhere I went in the city.” Eliza nodded. 

“Well, if I get sent back home, I’d like to make this a night to remember. Wanna fight crime as a team?” Eliza laughed.

Peter shook his head, “We’ll ask Happy to let you stay. I know it’ll work. But sure, let’s do it!” Eliza took this as a cue to change, morphing her body into a creature that could jump easily from building to building.  
Looking down at her now, Peter’s spidey-eyes widened, “A monkey! Sweet!”

“Hey, Penis Parker! Did your face always look that stupid?” Flash taunted from behind Peter and Eliza. Peter pushed his face further into his locker, biting his lip.

Eliza, on the other hand, was not the quiet type. “Flash, why don’t you quit taunting Peter so you don’t have to keep hiding your insecurities? I think it’d be a better look on you.” Kids laughed and turned to face her from their lockers, watching as Flash choked on his words. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Eliza slammed Peter’s locker for dramatic effect, making him jump. “Let’s go, Peter. The trash in here stinks.” This was responded by a chorus of laughter from their classmates. Peter pushed his way through to catch up to Eliza, hiding a smile. Flash was left sputtering behind them.

“That was amazing, but you didn’t need to do that. You know I’m not supposed to draw attention.” Peter shouldered his bag as they climbed up the staircase. Last night, the two of them bonded pretty well, beating up thieves and returning stolen items. It felt like Eliza had already known Peter forever. It was a shame she couldn’t stay with him much longer. She was going to tell Happy tonight, at dinner with Pepper and Morgan. 

Eliza shrugged, “It’s not like anyone is gonna suspect me of anything.” Eliza’s phone buzzed. It was MJ, asking if she was coming to class. Eliza responded, _Yep, I just finished telling Flash off to the entire hallway._ She pushed her phone in her back pocket, “Sorry, that was MJ.”

“MJ? I didn’t know you were friends with her, she’s really cool.” Peter said this in a high pitched voice, looking at Eliza and then in front of him.

“Isn’t the AcDec team going on a Europe trip this summer?”

Peter cleared his throat, his voice a little deeper this time, “Yeah, I’m hoping I’ll be able to actually relax on that trip.”

“That’s understandable. I mean,” Eliza lowered her voice, “I’m not really an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I still kinda get it.”

Peter smiled, his voice hushed too, “I have a feeling you’re gonna be more than an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe an Avenger. I mean, we’re kinda down on members.” He looked towards their history class with glassy eyes.  
“Thanks for the encouragement.”

“Remember, I’m not letting you leave yet.” With that, Peter walked into their class and found his seat, turning his attention to the girl in front of him. Eliza smirked. It was only obvious that Peter liked her. Ah, to be oblivious to shared love!

Eliza found her seat on the opposite side of the classroom. She looked up at the board, and her heart sank. In big messy handwriting at the top of the chalkboard was written _The Sokovia Accords._ Eliza put her head down on her desk, and closed her eyes. A voice went through her head, a familiar ghost of her past. _It’s okay. Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold it._

_Breathe out._


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here's the second chapter to this little novella. This story is also available on my tumblr, caffeinated-mendes, if you prefer to read it there. Comment and kudos are always appreciated <3 Hope you enjoy!

On his way to lunch, Peter caught a pale-faced Eliza talking to MJ. She looked sick, and MJ stroked her back, giving the blonde a hug before making her way down the other hall. Peter watched MJ leave, feeling his heart pound in his chest before walking up to Eliza. Her face had no color; even her eyes were not as vibrant as before. Without glowing, they were an icy, striking blue. Now they seemed like pale blue paint, baked from a blazing sun. “You alright?” Peter said, his voice a little squeaky. He played with his backpack strap. 

Eliza cleared her throat, “Uh, yeah. Stomach ache.”

Peter nodded, and they made their way to the cafeteria, ignoring looks from most people. Eliza wasn’t popular, but she definitely was not as lame as Peter considered himself. Their classmates weren’t used to seeing Peter without Ned, alone, a girl. Eliza had great style too, which she couldn’t be made fun of for. She left her hair to cascade down her back, an effortless beauty. Her style somewhat resembled a skater’s style, combined with jewelry. The dark palette of her clothing left for earrings and necklaces to make great statements.

Eliza tugged on the sleeves of her black sweater, “I’m going to Pepper’s tonight for dinner. Happy’s gonna be there. You could come with me, and we could ask Happy if I could stay.”

Peter proceeded to grab food onto his lunch tray, following Eliza down the line, “Yeah. But you don’t think it’d be weird if I just showed up without being invited to your dinner?”

“What’s the problem? Happy likes you, and so do the Starks,” It felt strange to hear that coming out of Eli’s mouth when she only referred to two people, “I mean, my aunt did it. She visited me on my fourth birthday, barely called and then showed up when I was thirteen to hang out with me and my parents for a night.” Eliza didn’t seem to take that seriously, and meant it as a joke, which left Peter to laugh an uncomfortable feeling off.

This also made him think about Eliza’s home. She wasn’t from New York, and she was living by herself, probably somewhere paid for by SHIELD. But where were her parents? From the sound of it, her other family members didn’t seem to be around. Peter didn’t ask, because he knew how it felt to get asked about your parents. He’d wait for her to tell him. Maybe they were just divorced, or Eliza didn’t live with them, for all he knew. 

By the time the two of them reached their lunch table, a little more color returned to Eliza’s cheeks. “Okay, so here’s the plan,” Eliza stated, turning her head to see if anyone was listening, “I’ll ring the doorbell. Happy will answer, most likely, and at that point I’ll pull you next to me, and Happy will have no choice but to bring you inside too.”

Peter nodded from across the table, and at this point, MJ and Ned came to sit next to them. Peter could feel his heart racing as MJ took a seat next to Eliza. Ned placed his phone on the table, showing Peter a picture as he sat down. It was a Lego Star Wars set, one Peter had never seen before. “Seven thousand pieces, collectors edition. You in?” Eliza and MJ narrowed their eyes at the same time. It creeped Peter out.

He laughed nervously, looking back and forth between the girls and Ned, “Not tonight.” Then he whispered to Ned, “But on the weekend for sure.” Ned nodded, and Eliza giggled.

“Man, you two are such nerds.” Eliza began to bite into an apple.

“More of losers,” MJ took a book out of her bag, “I remind them pretty much every day.”

Eliza nodded her head, “Justified.” Her smile made Peter feel a lot better than he had a moment ago, when she looked like she was going to be sick.

The sun had begun to set, giving the lake a orange glow, but the pretty view didn’t settle Peter’s stomach. He finally had someone he could talk to about being a superhero, and now Fury would take her away if they failed tonight.

Peter hid on the edge of the Stark’s porch while Eliza rang the doorbell. She looked fine, until a voice echoed from inside the lakehouse, “Pepper, there are two people at the front door,” Friday’s voice made the hairs on Peter’s neck stand on edge, “One, female, aged eighteen. Running facial recognition… Eliza Brooks. Another, male, aged sixteen. Running facial recognition… Peter Parker.” 

“Well, that blew our cover. Get up and come over here, Peter.” Eliza groaned, and shuffled her boots. She looked nice, Peter thought, with black combat boots, a black skirt and a long-sleeved, green top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which made Peter notice faint scars on her neck, like claw marks, just not as big. As if they were scratched into her skin. Human nails.

The door opened, and Happy stood, dumbfounded as he looked between Eliza and Peter. “Um, what happened here?” Happy asked, “You shouldn’t know her.” Happy looked at Peter.

“Happy, um, I failed. But I brought Peter here, because I don’t want to go back to Chicago,” Eliza wrung her hands, and looked up at him, “Please help me figure something out.” Peter watched the interaction as if he wasn’t there, and Happy’s eyes glazed over. With one glance at Peter, he opened the door. Peter thought maybe there was something back in Chicago that Eliza didn’t want to return to. Her voice made it seem that way.

“Hey, Happy.” Peter felt like curling into his jacket and hiding.

Happy lifted his eyebrows, and said blankly,“Pete.” The two of them walked inside, and Peter could hear a pounding on the floors of the house.

“Eli!” Before he could comprehend what happened, Eliza scooped up a ball of red, gold, and pink into her arms, which elicited a giggle from Morgan, as he now recognized her. Peter had only met her a few times, but every time he saw her, it felt like a piece of Tony was with him. 

Eliza’s blonde ponytail swished behind her as she lifted the Iron Man mask from Morgan’s head. “What are you doing wearing this? You know how your Mom doesn’t like you playing in the shed!”

Morgan’s happy face was adorned with messy brown hair, “I know. Don’t tell her!” Morgan put a finger to her lips, giggling in Eli’s arms. Happy closed the door, as Pepper walked through into the living room, where they all stood awkwardly.

“Oh, um, hi Peter. I didn’t know you were coming.” Pepper’s eyes widened in realization, “How did you know Eliza?”

“It’s my fault, Pepper. I dragged him here. It’s a long story.” 

“Great to see you, Ma’am.” Peter didn’t know what else to say.

Pepper nodded, “Let me get an extra plate.” And stepped back into the kitchen, unsurprised. It seemed like not much could shock Pepper these days. Eliza put Morgan down, who ran into the kitchen, pink tutu and all.

Peter watched as Eliza placed the Iron Man mask on the coffee table of the living room, and Happy led the two of them to the kitchen, where a chicken dinner sat on the table. “So Eliza, could you explain to us what happened?” Happy sat down at the table, and Peter took a seat opposite of him. Eliza shuffled next to Peter, and looked down at her plate, then back up again.  
“Everything was going fine yesterday, and I gave you your report. After I went into the city to watch Peter, I followed him inside a bank, where he stopped a bank heist-”

“And this is where you shot the two men? And caused the police to arrive after you left?” Happy interjected.

Peter saw Eliza look around the room to see if Morgan was there. She wasn’t in sight. “Yes. Both in the leg. I did it because they were ready to knock Peter out. I didn’t know why, out of all places, he’d get beaten in a bank by some regular thieves.”

Peter looked at Eli, “Ouch. That was mean.”

“Sorry.” Eliza continued, “But I had to protect him any way I could, like Tony asked.” Pepper hadn’t said a word until now, but she took her seat at the head of the table with a sigh.

Peter added to Eliza’s story, “The only way I knew she was there was because I could sense her, and I grabbed her arm.”

“Sense her?” Pepper asked.

“I have a sixth sense, but it doesn’t really matter. I think something about Eliza’s presence made it messed up, like all I could feel was her. It was sort of like shock waves.” Eliza’s face paled at this, like how she did after their history class today. Peter wondered if he said something wrong. Happy had a similar look on his face. 

Eli cleared her throat, “Yeah. So he grabbed my arm, and then my eyes apparently started to glow. That’s what Peter said.”

Peter added again, “It only happened one time before. I don’t think anyone else noticed, but she walked into my math class. I take senior level math, so Eliza was in it too.”

“Okay, get to the point.” Happy folded his hands on the table. Peter wondered why Happy didn’t care about Eliza’s eyes. It was almost like he already knew, or had experienced it before.

“Okay. So I figured out who she was because of her eyes, and now we’re here because Eli doesn’t want to leave, and I don’t want her to either.” Peter felt a little nervous after saying the last part of that. 

Happy groaned, “Okay. I can talk to Fury-”

“No, I will.” Pepper interjected, as she began to put chicken on Peter’s plate, “Tony set up Eliza’s mission, so I can make Fury help her keep it, or give another. I know that this could jeopardize her chance to become a SHIELD Agent, or Avenger, considering your powers.”

“How?” Peter and Eliza asked in unison.

“Well, I can make threats too, you know. I own Stark Industries, until Morgan is old enough and takes over,” Pepper moved to Eliza’s plate. The dark kitchen, lit only by one light above the table made her seem menacing, “All I need to say if Fury doesn’t let up is that I can make sure SHIELD never gets to use another iron suit again.” Pepper didn’t smile once, and just spoke as if it was a fact.

Peter’s eyes widened, “Wow, that’s-”

“Badass.” Eliza finished. 

“Morgan! Come in the kitchen, it’s time for dinner.” She turned her gaze back to the three of them, and grinned.

After dinner, Pepper paced in the hallway next to the staircase for what seemed like hours to Peter. Eliza’s knee bounced up and down, while the two of them sat on the couch, doing a puzzle with Morgan. “Peter, are you an Avenger?” Morgan asked from across the coffee table. It was completely dark outside, but Aunt May knew that Peter wouldn’t be back until late.

“Yeah, I guess,” Peter replied.

“Good. Because I am too.” Morgan continued with her puzzle, trying desperately to push a piece into one that wasn’t its match.

Eliza laughed. “Am I one, too? I know you run the Avengers, Morgan.”

“Of course, Eli! You are probably the number one Avenger.”

“Hey!” Peter felt slightly offended.

Morgan shrugged, “Sorry, Peter.”

Pepper and Happy walked into the living room, and nodded towards the kitchen, away from Morgan. The four of them stood by the doorway, and Pepper stated, “Fury said you can stay, on one condition. You have to prove to him you can complete a mission successfully.”

Eliza quirked her eyebrows. “And what’s the mission?”

“This weekend, you two have to go to SHIELD HQ and you’ll get on a plane. You’re going to Portugal, and there’s a group of people you need to spy on that are a threat to SHIELD. Fury said that he would explain more of the details when you get there. If you succeed, you can stay in New York, finish school, and resume your training. Fury said no more, except that, if you fail, you’re going back home, and you’ve lost your chance at becoming an Agent.”


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! i hope you're all staying safe <3 here's chapter three to hopefully get stressful things out of your minds!! love you all! comments and kudos are always appreciated :)

“What’d you get on your chemistry midterm?” Eli asked Peter as they walked onto the El Train. Peter opened up his phone, grabbing onto the rail above them. 

The train roared to life, the rails screeching as their school moved further out of sight. “Ninety-two. What did you get on your physics one?”

Eliza scooted closer to Peter, as a big, burly guy bumped into her back. “Eighty-nine. I’m really mad my teacher didn’t round it up.”

“Well, you’re not going to college anyway right? I mean, if everything works out-”

“Say that any louder, Peter.” Eliza rolled her eyes.

“Sorry.”

She laughed, looking at Peter’s saddened expression. A small grin broke out on his face. Tomorrow, they were headed off to Portugal, so she’d only have tonight to pack for her mission, and then she’d meet up with Peter at his Aunt May’s. “You and me are gonna spar after this is all over.” Eliza knew that to say that was to assume they were going to succeed during their mission, but all she had was hope. If she messed up, her whole life, her dreams, would be gone in the blink of an eye. “Let’s hope you watch MMA fights.”

“I’m sure I’ll hold my own.” Peter shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, yeah?” Eliza eyed Peter, “You’re on.”

Peter put in an earbud, and turned his head away from her.

Eliza said goodbye to Peter as her stop came around. She exited out onto the cracked pavement after stepping down a flight of stairs, watching the train above her whisk away. The clouds above her only darkened as she tried to get home faster. Eliza hadn’t brought an umbrella, and she could hear thunder in the distance. Drops of metallic water fell onto her face, and she gladly stepped inside her apartment building. SHIELD had given her a studio to live in, which wasn’t so terrible, since she was by herself. When she stepped through the doors, it didn’t feel cozy inside. The feeling of coldness was familiar to her as she arrived on the second floor, opening the chipped brown door with her key.

Every time Eliza set her keys down on her kitchen countertop, she felt an overwhelming feeling of longing. Suddenly, she was transported back to Chicago. Her view of life was closer to the ground. The yellow glow coming from the kitchen meant mom was cooking her favorite food for dinner, and her dad would push her inside their loft, telling her if she did her homework first, she’d be able to watch her favorite TV show when it came on later. 

But the shuffling sound of her taking off her shoes and nothing but the city sounds in the background made her eyes sting, but she’d never cry. She’d already done it enough. Eliza heard another voice in her head, a familiar one. One she would hear every Friday and Saturday afternoon. If she closed her eyes, she could almost see the green, sea-foamey eyes trained on hers. Remember, Eliza, you’re the one who controls your fate. The decisions you make could cost you your life. Or save it.

Eliza chided herself, it could be worse. She could be living on the streets. She could be dead. Eliza walked straight from her doorway to the left side of the apartment, where a queen bed sat, taking up nearly a fourth of the apartment. To her right was her bathroom and kitchen. The red brick walls of the building gave some color to the room, and the big windows behind her bed helped, too. She turned to the dresser next to the bathroom, and lugged a suitcase out from under her bed. She had to pack light, since she and Peter weren’t briefed on where they were staying.

Two and a half hours later, with a full stomach and suitcase, Eliza finished packing. After watching enough TV on her phone to melt her brain, she got herself into bed and pulled the covers over her. She didn’t think she’d fall asleep quickly, but it seemed that the exams and packing made her pretty tired. The thunder and rain patter lulled her mind to stop thinking cohesive thoughts. Soon enough, everything faded before her into black.

_Aunt May’s Apartment, the next day_

Aunt May seemed to be in a flurried frenzy as Peter opened the door for Eliza. His aunt walked in out of the kitchen and ordered Happy around as he awkwardly complied. Happy managed to convince Fury that he could take care of Eliza and Peter, so they were going on a Stark jet to Portugal. Eliza grinned at the sight of them. She pulled her suitcase behind her, and Peter took it and rolled it next to his at the doorway. May finally seemed to settle herself as she handed Eliza and Peter each a brown paper bag. “Aunt May,” Peter began, “We didn’t need for you to pack us lunch-”

“Peter, since when have I sent you off on a mission with an empty stomach? I won’t have two of them jetting off to Portugal.” Aunt May put her hands on her hips, looking very stern in her jeans and white button-up blouse. “Hi Eliza, it’s good to meet you. Peter told me you hate tomatoes, so I didn’t put any on your sandwich.”

Eliza smiled, “Thank you. You really didn’t need to do that.”

Aunt May waved Eli off, “Don’t worry about it. Do you both have your suits?”

“Yep.” Peter and Eliza said in unison.

“Toothpaste, extra clothes, socks?”

Peter put his hands on May’s shoulders. “We’re gonna be fine. We have everything.” May pushed her glasses up her nose, and zipped up Peter’s jacket. She began to smooth it out, but she stopped herself and pulled him into her arms. 

“Be safe,” She murmured, putting her hand on the back of his hand. “You too, Eliza.” Aunt May gave her a hug, which surprised her, but assured her nonetheless. In ten minutes, Happy ushered them out the door as they made their way to the Stark airbase. 

Eliza had been on many flights before, so she was quite relaxed, but she’d never seen Peter so jumpy. Happy had whispered to her as they boarded the plane that Peter had only been on one other flight, and the battle that he fought in later that day was very messy.

Eli’s nerves began acting up as soon as they had passed most of the Atlantic Ocean, so she changed into her suit to comfort herself. The black and navy blue fabric made her skin feel electric. It was much easier to turn invisible in the suit, for some reason. _Tony must’ve done something to it,_ Eliza guessed. She looked at herself in the spacious bathroom mirror. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, making her eyes look startlingly blue. She wrung her mask in between her fingers, adrenaline beginning to pump through her body. She was ready for this. She had to be.

The door clicked behind her as she stepped back into the lounge area, where seats sat across from each other with tables in between. Peter wore his classic suit, and Happy sat at the front of the plane, manning the controls. “You ready?” Peter asked. 

“Yeah.” Eliza slid across from him, putting her hands on the table. From here, she could see the expanse of the ocean, looking as if it never ended. The waves glittered blue and green. 

“Can I ask you something?” Peter’s eyes bore into Eliza’s. Eliza motioned for him to continue, “How’d you get your powers? Were you born with them?”

Eliza’s breath hitched, but she made herself take a deep breath to make up for it. “It was, uh- a radioactive blast. Mixed with a bunch of other bad things, too.” She knew Peter could tell that she didn’t want to talk about it, so he asked a different question. 

“Did you learn how to fight after that, then?”

Eliza couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at her lips. Her belt brushed against her leg, and she was reminded of the feeling of training. “No. I learned before then. My parents, they worked for SHIELD. They had some connections, and I got trained.”

“No way! Who taught you?” Peter seemed to almost jump in his seat. 

Happy answered the question for her, “Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow   
herself. Now stop asking questions, Peter. We’re almost there.”

Peter sputtered a few more times as Eliza brought herself to the door of the jet. No one could see them from the outside, but Eliza willed herself to turn transparent, the tingling feeling subsiding. 

“Alright, Pete. You and Eliza are gonna scout the town for any signs of an entrance to some sort of hideout. All SHIELD knows is that the enemy is underground, but they can’t pinpoint their location. Once you find it, you radio me or SHIELD, and they’ll have backup coming, too. Once you two put on your masks, you’ll be able to talk to each other, no matter where you are.”

Eliza nodded, and pulled the mask over her head. Happy stayed in his seat as he landed the plane. Peter shook his head, but got up to stand next to her. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that.” He grinned, and pulled his mask on, too. “Hey! I just guessed where you were standing, but now I can see your outline through the mask!”

Eliza suppressed a giggle. “Okay. When the door opens, make sure you get high ground as soon as possible. You don’t want people seeing you. I’ll go and scout on the streets, and we’ll tell each other if we spot anything.” Peter nodded.

She opened the door with a click, followed by a creak. The sun blinded her temporarily, but her eyes adjusted. Eliza was amazed by the sights around her. Happy landed them in a grassy field that overlooked an entire town square. The architecture was beautiful, with high, domed ceilings on the bigger buildings and red clay-tiled roofing on the houses. Beautiful bricked pavement ran along the stretches of the city. Little kids ran around a fountain, and parents talked together on benches. Dogs sat next to people under a pavilion filled with tables for a restaurant.

Eliza stepped down the retractable stairs, the wind whipping the blades of grass around her and Peter. The jet behind them vanished, blending in with the surroundings, and made its way into the clouds.

Peter nodded to Eliza, and turned the other way, running down the hill and beginning to scale what seemed like a cathedral. Eliza made her way along the alleys that led to the square. She did a three-sixty degree turn, and once Eliza saw no one around, she morphed herself into a stray cat. She’d already seen a few of them skulking past her, so she figured that was the best disguise. 

She bolted to the sides of the fountain, scanning the surrounding buildings. Eliza could see her reflection in the mosaic tiles. She looked like a normal tabby cat, except her eyes glowed strangely, like Peter had told her before. The blueness of them looked familiar, like she’d seen that exact shade before. 

Eliza heard Peter through the intercom, “I’m not seeing anything super suspicious.” Eliza scrambled to another alley and hid behind a dumpster. She transformed back again to herself, and then willed her body to be invisible again.

“That’s because these guys are underground. I’m sure there’s an entrance somewhere.” Eliza checked the square again, leaning against the metal of the bin.

“What if they’re in the fountain?” Peter asked, “Like Harry Potter? Come on, the Chamber of Secrets?”

“Oh my god, Peter, no one would ever do that. That’s only movie stuff.” Eliza rolled her eyes. Then, she caught sight of a man with a dark, buzzed head exiting the restaurant across from the fountain. He was tanned and muscled, and little kids moved out of the way for him instantly. He wore black jeans and a gray t-shirt. In his fist poked out the end of a flash drive. Eliza watched as he turned a hard left, and walked nonchalantly as he dropped the flash drive on the ground, next to a bench. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah,” Peter responded, “I’m gonna go in.”

“No. Not yet. Wait for my cue.” Eliza stood, and walked out of the alley, into the square. The man stepped into the cathedral that Peter sat on top of. Eliza ran, and slipped into the door behind him. The man began to walk down the pews, but stopped abruptly, turning. Eliza froze and held her breath, not moving a muscle. He turned back around, but still didn’t move. Eliza wanted to call Peter in right at that second, but if she made a sound, the man would know she was there. 

The man snapped his fingers, and withdrew a gun. Eliza jumped backward, but fell hard into another person’s chest. She couldn’t turn, only scream as he gripped her arms. Her body reappeared, atom by atom, and she cried, “Peter, now! Help!” The person behind her crushed her and the man in front put the gun down. The person behind her pulled her mask off, and the man in front reached into his pocket, and threw some kind of dust at Eliza. She held her breath, but it still got into her eyes, making the world buzz around her. 

Everything was static. “Eli! I’m coming! Eliza?” Peter screamed across the intercom, but her mask sat on the ground, the yelling distant. Eliza closed her eyes, falling into nothingness.


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's been a little bit since I updated, but hopefully they'll get more frequent on this fic once summer comes. Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3

“Eli! I’m coming! Eliza?” Peter scrambled off the top of the cathedral, ignoring the shocked screams and gasps of the people sitting in the town square. He dropped himself next to the bench with the flashdrive on it, and snatched it up before someone came to collect it. Turning back around, he bolted into the cathedral. Everything was silent as he ran down the pews, no one in sight. “Eliza?” Peter looked down at his feet, and grasped the black and blue mask at his feet. Great, he thought, I’ve let Eliza get kidnapped, not only screwing up her chance at becoming a part of SHIELD, but I also have increased her chances of dying!

Peter took a deep breath, and ran back out of the cathedral, mask in hand as he webbed himself up unto a balcony. “Karen?” He asked, and suddenly a ring sounded through his ears.

A familiar, automated voice replied, “Yes, Peter?”

“Can you do a scan for any underground tunnels within a hundred-mile radius of this point?”

“Sure, Peter.” Peter watched before his eyes as his vision turned black, now illuminated with a visual blueprint of the town’s sewer system. The electric blue lines surrounded himself, a tiny dot on the map. “There is a hollowed out tunnel that is five miles from here that leads into a bigger cavern. The tunnel spans across the whole city, and an entrance is within thirty feet of you.”

“Where is it?” Peter turned his head, but his vision was still blocked from the map.

Karen responded, “Under that fountain. I’ve scanned the carvings in the marble. If you press the eye of the figure on the top, it should open and lead you to the entrance.”

“I knew it. Wait till I shove it in her face. It’s exactly like Harry Potter! Thanks, Karen.”

“Happy to help, Peter.” Peter’s vision turned back to normal. He vaulted himself over the balcony, and landed right next to the fountain. Every civilian had cleared out of the square after they saw Peter jump down and run into the cathedral, so he stepped into the water, soaking his clothed feet. He was suddenly very glad that his suit had warmers that could dry him up. Peter was met face to face with a lion, spewing water from the top of the fountain. 

Peter pushed his right eye, and it glowed an eerie shade of green before the entire column that held the lion folded in on itself, and fell into the middle of the fountain, revealing an enclosed tunnel with rungs of a ladder. The rungs led to the bottom of another space Peter couldn’t see. 

Stepping carefully down each rung, Peter made it to the bottom. He turned around, and saw an endless expanse of concrete tunnel, almost like a sewage pipe (minus the sewage). From what he saw on the map, he had to go straight for four miles. Then, he’d ask Karen to lead him down the winding path into the scary enemy lair. Sadly, the spidey suit didn’t have super speed, so he’d have to go at a light jog for a bit and take some breaks to make sure he could save Eliza and not be completely exhausted. Peter wished he could be like Eliza, and turn into a mountain lion, or some other animal that was fast.

Peter suspected Eliza wasn’t awake, because she would have escaped already and would’ve contacted Peter or SHIELD. It was easy to turn something small and run away, Peter knew that. The radio connection was cut off from Eliza because she left her mask behind, so he was entirely on his own. Taking a deep breath, Peter started to jog down the tunnel, leaving his mind to wander on its own.

At around a mile and a half in, Peter heard clunking noises from above himself. It must’ve been construction, still, it scared him. He’d tried to contact Happy while he was running, but the metal all around him had cut off his connection. Wheezing for breath, Peter stopped at two miles to walk for a bit. He couldn’t believe that Black Widow had trained Eliza. It made sense: her skill at self-defense and a ton of other martial arts Peter couldn’t name explained that. He’d seen her teacher on the battlefield, once in Germany and right before the blip. That was the last time he saw her, but it made Peter wonder, when was the last time Eliza saw her?

There were a lot of things about Eliza that Peter questioned. Where were her parents, if they were alive? How did Tony find her? Did SHIELD get Black Widow to train her? What were those scars on her neck? What happened to her parents, if they were dead? The questions never really stopped, but Peter somehow knew he could trust her. Maybe his trust meant nothing. Nevertheless, he couldn’t let her die.

After jogging some more, Peter asked Karen where to go next. “Take your first right, then walk for .4 miles.” Peter followed her directions, and was faced with another cement tunnel, with four openings on each side. “I detect a threat in the tunnel that leads the quickest way to the cavern. You can take another route, but it will reroute you, and you will have to walk another three miles.”

“Can you detect what the threat is, Karen?” Peter asked, hearing his voice quiver.  
“A human, he is armed.” Peter saw an x-ray vision down the first tunnel on his left. He could see the gun the man was holding and his body heat on the thermal scanner. He seemed to be guarding the door to the cavern. Peter nodded, and turned left, going at a run. He followed the tunnel as it curved, and saw the man with the gun, who was caught off guard screaming in Portuguese. Peter tapped his web shooter, pulling the gun with his arm. It clattered to the ground. The guard ran at him, pulling a knife from his belt.

The LED lights above Peter flickered, and at the very last second, he jumped through the legs of the guard, catching him off guard again. Peter grinned to himself, feeling way more confident. Maybe he did have a chance at beating Eliza when they would spar, he thought as he dodged the jabs of the guard’s knife. 

He disarmed the guard with a simple kick to his arm, and he rammed his foot into the guard’s chest, watching the man hit the concrete hard. The guard’s eyes lolled to the back of his head, and his head fell back with a plunk on the concrete. Once Peter saw that his chest was rising, and he was breathing normally, he looked back to the door that led to the cavern. It was bolted into the cement across every inch of the doorframe, and it had a small device next to the rodded handle that looked like an entry for a passcode.

Peter walked back to the unconscious guard and checked his pockets for any slip of paper that had a code. Hopefully, the man had a bad memory. After scouring the front pockets, Peter grabbed at his back pockets and threw out a used tissue in disgust. Then, he realized the tissue wasn’t used, and that black ink was visible through the fabric. Peter plucked it off the ground, and almost jumping up and down in excitement, saw the six-digit code for the door. 

After every number was pressed, the door clicked, and Peter was able to swing it open with ease. The door led to another hollowed out tunnel that looked almost like a cave system. Peter was really starting to get tired of tunnels. He shook his head and exhaled, carefully stepping on the gravelly floor. Karen directed him down the tunnel for another five minutes when it finally began to open up. No one seemed to be close to him, as all he could hear were his feet shuffling on the ground. 

Peter neared the cavern, and from the tunnel, looked to see wisps of blonde hair on the ground. He ducked his head, and saw Eliza, her eyes closed and her arms sprawled about as if someone just dropped her and left her on the floor for later. Peter scrambled to her side, laying her head in his lap, checking her pulse. He pulled his mask off, his face hit with a musty smell. Eliza seemed to be unscathed, so Peter began shaking her. “Eli, Eli, wake up.” He lowered his voice as much as possible. After a few more shakes, Eliza’s eyelids fluttered open, and Peter got a feeling of deja vu as her pale blue eyes glowed again, an electric blue that paralyzed Peter the same way he had felt before.  
The glowing subsided, and Eliza moaned, “What happened?” She pushed herself off of Peter and sat up, looking pale.

“I don’t know. You were screaming for me but when I came into the cathedral you were gone.” Peter watched as she looked around the gray cavern. Oil lamps illuminated the humid area. “Your eyes glowed again.”

Eliza gulped, and tightened her ponytail. “Why does that keep happening?”

Peter shrugged, “You tell me,” He handed Eliza her mask, “Let’s see what we can find in this place. I have the flashdrive, but I want to look for more information.”

“Okay,” Eliza put on her mask, and Peter did the same, “Have your AI system scan your surroundings.”

“Her name’s Karen.” Peter felt a grin tug at his lips. He could almost see Eliza roll her eyes. 

“Fine, have Karen scan our surroundings. They’ve got to have a computer, files, something that gives us an idea of their plans.” Eliza spoke to her AI system, trying to call Happy.

Karen pulled up another scan, and Peter saw other shapes past the rocky walls, “It won’t work. I’ve got no signal down here. It’s the metal from the pipes.”

“Pipes?”

“Yeah, I had to run four miles of tunnel before I got here. And guess what? The entrance was in the fountain. Just like Harry Potter!” Peter laughed.

Eliza shook her head and snorted, “I guess you proved me wrong. Feels good, huh?” Peter walked closer to the wall, running his hands along the surface, looking for another secret door of sorts. “Hey, thank you.”

Peter turned back around at Eliza. “Yeah, of course. I couldn’t let you get hurt.” The two of them jumped as they heard a creak close by. Eliza disappeared from Peter’s sight, and Peter scream-whispered, “What do we do?”

“Hide!” Eliza scream-whispered back. Peter looked at his surroundings. There was absolutely nothing he could hide behind. The cavern was empty. Thinking quickly, Peter shot a web above his head, and pulled himself up, sticking every limb to the top of the cavern wall.

Peter held his breath. The same man that Peter and Eliza had seen from the town square came into the room. When he saw that Eliza was missing, he ran back through the entrance. The two of them could hear him howling orders in Portuguese to other people. He exhaled and took another breath after the man was gone for a minute or two.

He dropped down onto the floor, and Eliza reappeared. She whispered. “My AI found a room. It’s right below us, but we can’t walk out of here to get there.” 

“What do we do?” Peter said hoarsely. He had said that a lot today.

Eliza pulled something from her belt. Peter realized that it looked very similar to Natasha Romanoff’s. It was a ballpoint pen, but when Eliza uncapped it, a red laser burst out of it noiselessly. In less than twenty seconds, Eliza cut a hole through the floor of the cavern, and a crash of rock hit the tiled floor peering through the hole. “Let’s go.” Eli instructed, dropping through the opening. Peter followed her, and when he hit the ground, he instinctively dropped to a squat, his hand touching the floor. 

Bright lights blinded him for a second. Peter blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting. The room around them looked like a normal office. Desks were pushed to the walls with ancient-looking computers on them. The walls themselves were a beige color, cracks in each corner. Peter felt a tingle run down his spine as he saw dust and cobwebs coating the overhead lights. Eliza parked herself right in front of one of the computers, and groaned as Peter watched her realized there was a password on it. “Hand me the flashdrive and watch the door.” Peter did as he was told, and heard Eliza clacking away on the keyboard behind him.

“Did you, like, go to a hacking class at SHIELD along with training lessons?” Peter folded his arms, bouncing between his feet as he observed the chipped wood of the door.

Eliza’s eyes scanned back and forth on the monitor, “Kinda,” she began to open multiple files that looked like detailed floor plans, “I begged my parents to let me be an agent like them. They talked to Hill about it, and she taught me code while Nat taught me basically anything that had to do with fighting.”

Peter was surprised. He meant his question to be a joke. “Oh. So, you were basically an assassin from the age of…”

“Nine.” He saw Eliza huff out a breath, and with a tap of the finger, he watched as something began to upload onto the flashdrive. He guessed they would open everything later.

Peter wrung his hands together, “Right.” All of a sudden, screams burst out from above them, and Peter realized that it would be pretty obvious if there was a hole in the cavern floor. In a panicked voice, he said, “We gotta go.” 

Luckily, the computer finished uploading the files just as he said it. Eliza ripped the flashdrive out of the computer, pushing Peter to get him to open the door. “Uh huh,” She said, obviously worried as Peter pulled the creaky door open, “Run.”


End file.
